The XV edition of the festival took place as always in the Cantera de Nagüeles in Marbella, with 49 nights of concerts from global artists, from June to August.

In Spain, the equivalent of All Fools' Day is “Día de los Santos Inocentes”, which takes place in the middle of the long Christmas season (Spanish Navidad runs all the way through to 6 January, the Epiphany). On 28 December it’s your turn to play your favourite jokes on friends and family!

One of the most delightful features of Christmas in Andalucia are the belenes vivientes, or living (live) nativity scenes, where many of the townsfolk dress up as characters to take part, using the town's streets, houses and plazas as their stage set, starring alongside four-legged actors - sheep and donkeys. Cadiz province is famous for its belenes vivientes.

Cascamorras festival in Guadix and Baza has been declared a Fiesta de Interés Turístico Internacional (Festival of International Tourism Interest) due to its intriguing history. Although the festival is relatively little-known outside Granada province, by latest estimates up to 20,000 people take part, running through the streets and covering each other in black olive oil in Baza and coloured paste in Guadix.

In most wine-growing districts of Spain, the harvest festival begins on the feast of St Matthew (21 September). In Jerez the Fiestas de la Vendimia starts officially on 8 September, the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady.

Sabinillas hosted a full moon festival moon festival at the end of July or early August on its beaches with live bands, dancing, body painting, craft stalls and friends getting together on the beach for moonlight picnics.

Estepona is a lively fishing town with numerous cultural and social events going on all the time in addition to important festivals and fairs that take place around the same time each year. Here is a look at Estepona's main traditional festivals.

A lot of people go on a pilgrimage to El Rocio. Those who believe in heaven and those who don't. A few hours after starting along the paths of Lower Andalusia, a unique form of relation is established. Differences disappear. Hearts open. This is the miracle of El Rocio.

Possibly you thought the Christmas season was over on New Year’s Eve, but in Spain this is just the mid-point of all the celebrating. In this country, the tradition is to have a rather late dinner with your family – just one more rich, elaborate dinner, of course, complete with all the pastries, dried fruits and nuts and mountains of turrón that finish every meal at this time of year.

Fuengirola has some particularly interesting festivals: April: The International Fair : “La Feria de los Pueblos”. This is a wonderful fair, which is held in the main fairground of Fuengirola (between train stations of Fuengirola and Los Boliches) and lasts for a week. In just one day, you can visit up to 50 countries.

Benalmadena is known for its full calendar of all-year-round festivities and cultural celebrations, from organized art and sporting events to traditional and religious processions - all of which give life and vitality to this cosmopolitan town.

Andalucia is filled with fascinating cultural events throughout the year. Whilst many of these festivals take place on the date indicated each year, others move slightly in relation to the day of the week or the religious calendar or occasionally weather.

In November the Andres Segovia International Classical Guitar Competition takes place in La Heredura's beautiful San José Church. This annual event attracts leading classical guitarists under 35 years of age from around the world and its objective is to promote the diffusion and study of the guitar.

In 2026, Dreambeach will celebrate its 12th edition at a new location - Velez-Malaga. It has been renamed Dreambeach Costa del Sol and shortened from three to two music days.

Sanlúcar is also noted for its horse racing which dates back to 1845 and takes place along a 2,000 stretch of beach at the mouth of the Río Guadalquivir during the month of August, daily from 6.00 pm, on the 2nd and 4th weekends of the month (Thursday to Saturday). This is a thrilling spectacle where real racehorses thunder across the sand watched by a large noisy crowd of spectators.

Every year on July 16th Virgin del Carmen Day is celebrated in Nerja in honour of the town’s maritime tradition. Whereas some towns hold a draw to choose the boat that will carry the image of the Virgen del Carmen out to sea, in Nerja the town actually has a special boat that has been designed just for Virgen del Carmen Day. The man who designed this boat was Jose Calvente, also known as Pepe el Califate

If the Virgen del Carmen is safe anywhere on the Costa del Sol it would have to be Marbella. There the image of the Virgin is kept 12 metres underground in a vault. Thankfully, she sees the light of day every July 16 on her own very special day, one that is celebrated up and down the Coasts of Andalucia.

Like many large cities, Málaga has absorbed what once were nearby villages. Therefore, some of Málaga’s seaside neighbourhoods continue to carry on the customs handed down to them by the fishermen and their families who established them.

Every year, Estepona celebrates its long fishing tradition with its own Virgen del Carmen festival on July 16. The event comprises several days of magnificent Catholic display and civic festivities.

Religious icons are hugely popular in Andalucia; they are normally handcrafted from wood and porcelain and spend 99.9 per cent of the year in glass-covered alcoves at the local church. Most are dusted down and placed on flower-decked thrones at Easter-time when they are lovingly and solemnly borne through the streets. The Virgen del Carmen, however, has her own special day.